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Gerald Ryan, fresh from banking a group 1 in the Oakleigh Plate with Mrs Onassis, will start the impressive Charlie Boy in preparation for the Slipper.

The Myboycharlie colt was a recent trial winner in the fastest time for two-year-olds.

''He is not overly tall but he has really strengthened up,'' Ryan said. ''He showed a good turn of foot in his win. There is a bit of improvement left in him because we are looking at races later on.''

The Silver Slipper looks strong, considering Gooree Stud's two runners, John O'Shea's Romantic Moon and Canonbury winner Never Can Tell from the Anthony Cummings yard.

Meanwhile, Ryan said Mrs Onassis would return to Sydney and for The Galaxy on March 30.

■ Co-trainer John Hawkes says All Too Hard has emerged from his impressive Futurity Stakes win in great shape and is on target for the Australian Guineas at Flemington on Saturday.

''He looked good this morning and will push on to the Guineas, but we have a lot of options after that race,'' Hawkes said.

''It'll just be a matter of sitting down with the owners and planning what races we look at in Sydney, but it's a matter of getting over this week's run first.''

All Too Hard is a $1.50 favourite to win the Guineas, with Philippi next in the TAB's market at $13.

Meanwhile, unbeaten Western Australian sprinter Barakey, which was withdrawn at the barriers at Caulfield, remains on target for the $1 million Newmarket Handicap on Saturday week.

Barakey became unsettled before the Oakleigh Plate and began to burrow under his gate, jamming his head, leaving vets no choice but to withdraw the horse. Barakey, a winner of 11 in a row, will trial up the straight at Flemington on the Tuesday before the Newmarket on March 9.